Letter to Dr. Tom Traves opposing Lockheed Martin Shunpiking Online Vo.6 No.3

Student Coalition Against War
Email: scaw@riseup.net

To: Dr. Tom Traves
CC: Dalhousie Career Services

Re: Lockheed Martin at Career Fair and ties to Dalhousie in general

Dear Dr. Tom Traves (Dalhousie President),

We are writing to you to express strongly our view that Lockheed Martin, the world's largest military contractor, should not be allowed space at the summer job fair on February 10th that Dalhousie is co-organizing and that all research ties between the company and Dalhousie University be severed. The Student Coalition Against War (made up of Dalhousie and Kings College students) is bringing these requests to you in light of the recent atrocities in Gaza committed by the Israeli military, in which Lockheed Martin's weaponry was deployed. The international outcries over the atrocities are well known. We have the weight of those cries behind this letter. They emphasize the ethical problems with Dalhousie University's ties to Lockheed Martin, but do not represent the whole scope of those ethical concerns, which run deep.

The sordid history of Lockheed Martin stretches back quite some time, though its harmful role in global conflict intensified following the election of U.S. President George W. Bush in 2000. At that time Lockheed Martin saw their stock more than double in value with the commencement of U.S. aggression against Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2005 at least 95% of its revenue came from the United States Department of Defense, other U.S. government agencies and foreign military customers such as Israel.

Lockheed Martin's 2007 revenue of $41.86 billion resulted in large part from the many connections shared between it and the U.S. government. One such connection involved Bruce Jackson, a now former Lockheed Martin VP for Strategy and Planning, who was a key player in the Project for a New American Century (a neo-conservative organization that supports greater American military intervention worldwide). Jackson, a delegate to the 2000 Republican National Convention stated that he was personally "responsible for the foreign policy platform" utilized by the Bush administration.

The current crisis in Gaza has Lockheed Martin at the centre of Israeli aggression, as the company is one of Israel's primary military enablers. In 2007, the U.S. increased its military aid to Israel by over 25%, to an average of $3 billion per year. Israel spends a massive portion of its military budget in purchasing weaponry from Lockheed Martin, including the F-16 fighter jets recently used to bomb and kill innocent families in Gaza. Israeli bombings of Gaza, carried out using Lockheed Martin technology and products, have resulted in over 1,000 Palestinian deaths thus far. Israeli's attacks have included the use of warplanes to bomb the Islamic University in Gaza.

Prior to the most recent attacks on Gaza, on 12 December 2008 the New Zealand Herald reported that the New Zealand government's Super Fund (a $12 billion national pension program) would divest from all companies involved with the production of cluster weapons and / or land mines, and / or nuclear weapons. Lockheed Martin was named as one of the companies to be divested from on the grounds of its involvement with cluster munitions system production and nuclear bomb testing. On 3 December, 2008, Canada signed on to the UN Convention on Cluster Munitions, which demands that signatories do not: (a) use cluster munitions; (b) develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer to anyone, directly or indirectly, cluster munitions; or (c) assist, encourage or induce anyone to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Convention.

Despite the best public relations attempts of Lockheed Martin, this is not a subject open for debate. Absolutely no common good comes from the manufacturing of weapons designed to maximize the violence carried out during armed conflicts. In part for its contributions to the pain and suffering endured by millions in Iraq and Afghanistan, Lockheed Martin was voted in 2006 as one of the "Worst Companies in the World" by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. In August of that same year, it was named "War Profiteer of the Month" by War Resisters International. The Student Coalition Against War (SCAW) believes that these titles are well-deserved by Lockheed Martin, and is dedicated to exposing the truth behind its war profiteering.

Especially in light of such titles, Dalhousie University should have opposed all research offers by the company when it came knocking on Dalhousie's door, but the door was opened. On May 16th, 2008, Dalhousie announced its new partnership with the company. As reported in MacLeans.ca on the same date:

"Dalhousie University received $2 million in research funding from U.S. aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The money will help Dalhousie carry out scientific research in quantum computing, physics and material sciences. Research results will be published and Lockheed Martin will have an option to licence any intellectual property that arises from the research."

In the Dalnews report on the announcement, it states:

"Dalhousie President Tom Traves, in answering a question from the audience, stated the university welcomes open debate on its operations and agreements."

Here is our submission to that debate. Lockheed Martin's prosperity thrives on the maintenance of conflict, not on the resolution of it. The production of increasingly efficient killing machines that are sold to imperialist governments serves no other purpose but to maintain current structures of oppression, occupation and exploitation. Under no circumstances must we permit our university to be complicit in the workings of this military industrial complex. Therefore, SCAW strongly urges Dalhousie University to make all necessary communication with the other co-organizers of the upcoming summer job fair and collectively withdraw Lockheed Martin's entitlement to participate. Additionally, we strongly encourage Dalhousie University to immediately take all necessary measures required for the discontinuation of any and all research in the interests of Lockheed Martin conducted on Dalhousie University property or with the use of Dalhousie University-owned facilities or services.

Please be advised that SCAW and its community allies are prepared to do any and all hard work necessary to prevent our university from becoming a friendly place for war profiteers. We welcome and embrace survivors of war and conflict - not those who are responsible for its facilitation. Those who make billions of dollars from the misery of the most oppressed and downtrodden are not welcome on our campus or anywhere else in our community.

No justice, no peace,

Student Coalition Against War

Initial list of endorsers:

Organizational Endorsers:

Nova Scotia Public Interest Research Group (NSPIRG)
Dal Native Students Association
Palestinian Solidarity Society
Peace and Social Justice Committee of Halifax Friends Meeting (Quakers)
Anarchist Black Cross
Food Not Bombs
NSCAD Student Union (SUNSCAD)

Faculty Endorsers:

Dr. Todd McCallum (History)
Kathleen Donovan (School of Social Work)
Dr. Colin Mitchell (History)
Dr. Matthew Schnurr (International Development Studies)
Dr. Nissim Mannathukkaren (International Development Studies)
Dr. Patricia Glazebrook (International Development Studies)
Dr. Amal Ghazal (History)
Dr. Lindsay DuBois (Sociology and Social Anthropology)
Dr. Theresa Ulicki (International Development Studies)
Isaac Saney (Transitional Year Program)